Illuminating attachment for vehicle door locks



Sept. 23, 1941. GREENLEES 2,256,670

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCKS Filed Nov. 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet l Q, fi u I E2. fresh/e66 A tiorneys P 1941- E. E. GREIENLEES 2,256,670

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCKS Filed Nov. 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 In ventor Z Z gm? 80/66:

p 19417 E. E. GREENLEES 2256,670

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCKS Filed Nov. 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor Z frae/r/zes A itorneym Sept. 23, 194210 GREENLEES 2,255,574)

ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLE DOOR LOCKS Filed Nov. 18, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 In venior Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE ILLUMINATING ATTACHMENT FOB VEHICLE DOOR LOCKS Edward E. Greenlees, Flint. Mich. Application November 18, 1939, Serial No. 305,161

'1 Claim.

The present invention relates to illuminating attachments for the door locks of an automobile or other vehicle and has for its primary object to provide an electric lamp mounted in the handle of the door for illuminating the keyhole opening of the door lock and having switch means mounted in the handle for controlling the energization of the lamp.

A further object is to provide an illuminating attachment" for vehicles or locks of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install in operative position and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompany drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a vehicle body with parts broken away and showing the contacts between the door and door Jamb.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the handle.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Figure 2. i

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an edge elevational view of the handle showing the electric circuit provided through the shaft of the handle.

in for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a vehicle body having the door 6 mounted therein and provided with the door handle I beneath which is the keyhole opening 8 of the lock for the door of conventional construction. The handle 1 includes the handgrip portion 9 and the shaft 10 which extends at right angles to the hand-grip portion, the junction thereof being formed into a lamp housing II. The housing I l is hollow and has an open outer end from which projects a push-button ll slidably mounted in the cylindrical bore ll of the housing. The push-button is of cylindrical form as shown in detail in Figure 11 of the drawings. the inner end of the push-button having the electric lamp l4 threaded in its inner end. The side wall of the push-button is formed with an open- Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary edge elevational view of the door and door jamb showing the contacts carried thereby.

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the door and door jamb showing the contacts in closed position.

Y Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 9 9 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the bearing block for theshaft of the handle and providing a mounting for the yieldable contact enazed with the handle.

Figure 11 is adetail of the push-button having the lamp carried thereby.

- Figure 12 is a perspective view of the contact pin carried by the shaft of the handle, and

Figure 13 is a perspective view of the insulation sleeve therefor, and

Figure 14 is a diagram of the electric circuit.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, whereing it adapted to register with a window I. formed in the bottom side of the housing II. The wall of the push-button I2 is also formed with a longitudinally extended slotted opening l'l with which a pin I0 is engaged, the pin being carried by the housing ll.

An electrical contact member I! is mounted in the shaft in, the contact having a head II projecting into the bore 13 for engagement by the base 2| of the lamp [4. A coil spring II ismounted in the bore and engages the inner end of the push-button II to normally maintain the lamp out of contacting engagement. The

contact i9 is enclosed in an insulation sleeve I! and a contact screw 23 is mounted in an insula-- tion ring 24 and extends laterally of the shaft in for threaded engagement with the inner end of the contact IS, the head of the contact II projecting laterally beyond the shaft It, as shown in Figure 3 o the drawings.

The shaft ll extends through a bearing block 25 secured to the door, the block being provided,

with a vertical bore 28 within which is slidably mounted an insulation sleeve 21 having an elecder 32 on the sleeve 21 to maintain the same against displacement when it is necessary to remove the shaft III of the handle.

A circuit wire 33 extends from the contact 28 through the door I and is connected to a Y A coil spring 30 mounted of the door and is yieldehly maintained in out= werdh projected position by means of e, coil spring 88 carried by the bracket 8?. The con= tact 3:3 is adapted for engagement with a similar contact 33 mounted in a bracket dd carried by the door iamb all, the construction of the contacts 3d and 8d and the mounting therefor heing identical, and accordingly, a detailed de= scription of one will sumce for both. The two contacts 36 and 89 are errenged for engagement when the door is in its closed position.

The circuit wire d2 exwndo from the contact 39 to the battery 63 of the vehicle, the lamp id being grounded through the frame of the car to complete the circuit, as clearly shown in Figure 14 of the drawings,

In the operation of the device it will be apparent that the lempi6 is normally tie-energized and upon a movement of the push-button i2 inwardly the contact oi the base of the lamp with the contact is will close the circuit thus energizing the lamp whereby to illuminate the keyhole opening 8 oi the door.

At the some time, while the handle is in its normal position, as shown in Figure l of the drawings, contacts 23 and 28 will he in engagement as well as the contacts 3Q md 39 when the door closed. The rototion of the sheit oy the turning of the handle will sepni'ete sex-a ore vantages and manner of operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus descrlbed the invention, what I claim is:

Dluminating means for a vehicle door lock comprising a shaft horizontally disposed and I0- tatable from normal to unlocking position, a handle on one end of said shaft and having a bore therein extending axially oi the shaft, an elongated electrical conductorlfixed in said shaft axially thereof and having an end disposed in said here, a cylindrical spring tensioned push button in said bore endwise slidoble therein inwsrdly and outwardly of said handle, anelectrio light fixed in said button and movable under inward movement of the button into engagement with said end of the conductor to energize the light, and means to energize said conductor in the normal position of said shaft, said means comprising an insulation sleeve disposed radially of sold shaft and spring pressed towards the latter, a contact extending out of said sleeve op- ;o"1' site said shaft, and a radial contact in said shaft extending from said conductor end engaging the first-mentioned contact in the normal position of the shaft.

EDWARD E. GREENLEES. 

